Palos Park Police Citizens Patrol Seeks New Members

PALOS PARK, IL — Palos Park Police Department Citizens on Patrol Service is recruiting new members.

COPS has been around for 17 seventeen years and is led by Tom Crowhurst.

The Palos COPS invite prospective members to come and learn about the program the last Friday of each month at Palos Park Police Department headquarters, at 7 p.m.

Currently COPS members patrol the community with a side band radio to communicate with patrol officers and a cellular phone to communicate with our dispatch center.

"They are an additional set of eyes and ears and report suspicious activity, power outages, motorist assist, etc.," said Chief Joe Miller. "These volunteer members of our community serve as an invaluable asset to making our community a safer place to live and work.

“We truly recognize that no single factor has been more crucial to reducing crime than the partnership between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.”

Police Commissioner Dan Polk noted that in order to be an effective police agency, the department cannot operate alone, and must have the active support and assistance of our citizens and community members.

The COPS group members work to raise money for the scholarship program yearround, as well as a number of Palos Park residents who serve as community partners in funding the program. The money raised for the Palos Park Police Cadet Scholarship Fund allows active members in the cadet program access to financial assistance for their college courses while pursuing a degree in Public Safety.